Synonyms for benevolence
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Beneficence
beneficence, kindness, generosity, altruism, kindliness, mercy, unselfishness, charity, humanity, grace, philanthropy, goodness, sympathy, largesse, good will, love, heart, benefaction, benignity, compassion, tenderness
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
Disposition to do good.
She smiled with benevolence at the children.
Forms
- Plural
- benevolences → beneficences, kindnesses, generosities, altruisms…
Choose the right word
According to the etymology and original usage, beneficence is the doing well, benevolence the wishing or willing well to others; but benevolence has come to include beneficence, and to displace it.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- kindness Kyoko had the kindness to carry my baggage for me.
- generosity Two traits of Americans are generosity and energy.
- altruism Love is harmony, altruism, and self-sacrifice.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| benevolence | rising | |
| kindness | rising | |
| generosity | rising | |
| altruism | rising | |
| beneficence | rising | |
| charitableness | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- love1
- 5 letters
- heart1, grace1, mercy2
- 7 letters
- charity3
- 8 letters
- humanity4, goodness2, kindness2, sympathy3, altruism4, largesse2
- 9 letters
- benignity
- 10 letters
- compassion3, generosity5, tenderness3, kindliness
- 11 letters
- beneficence4, benefaction
- 12 letters
- philanthropy4
- 13 letters
- unselfishness
- 14 letters
- charitableness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (mercy2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- bienveillance
- Italiano
- benevolenza
- Català
- benevolència